Mossman sugarcane growers are experimenting with alternative crops following the closure of their local mill last year. The mill, which had served the region for over 125 years, shut down, leaving the future of the multi-generational industry uncertain.
This year, farmers are trucking their cane more than 100 kilometres south to Mulgrave for processing, a subsidised short-term solution that may not be sustainable long term. The Queensland government has allocated $12.5 million to support growers, with $6 million covering transport costs for this season and the remainder aimed at long-term solutions beyond 2025.
Fourth-generation farmer Don Murday, deputy chair of Queensland Cane, Agriculture and Renewables, is trialling bana grass, a crop similar to sugarcane used for biofuels. He reports promising results and plans to transition away from sugarcane. "With the predicted tonnages of the bana grass and the price that's being offered, we're looking at gross value of between $4,000 and $5,000 per hectare with lower growing cost than sugarcane," he said.
Fellow grower Matthew Watson is trialling coffee, cocoa, corn, and sorghum, and also sees potential in bana grass. He noted that bana grass grows similarly to cane and can be planted and harvested with existing machinery. However, both farmers express concern about the lack of a local processor and hope the Mossman factory could be converted into a biomass facility.
Mr Murday estimates it will be 12 to 18 months before commercial quantities of bana grass are available, with a processing facility potentially operational within 12 months of approval. For now, he is only growing bana grass for propagation. Mr Watson said the uncertainty is challenging, but farmers are determined to stay on the land.
